Does Gender Moderate Relationship Between Peer Acceptance and Suicidal Ideation among Undergraduate?

Abstract

The study examined the role of gender in the relationship between peer acceptance and suicidal ideation among four hundred and thirty-one (431) first-year undergraduates purposively selected from six departments in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The age range of the participants is 18 to 22 years with a mean age of 19.7, a standard deviation of 1.6 and gender consists of male 211 (49. 0%) and female 220 (51.0%). Correlational design and moderated multiple regression techniques available in the Conditional process analysis were adopted for data analyses. Pearson Moment correlation coefficient showed that gender did not significantly correlate with suicidal ideation r(429) = .06, P < .05, peer acceptance r(429) = .07, P < .05. Suicidal ideation negatively correlated with peer acceptance r(429) = -.11, P <.05.  Also, multiple moderated regression results showed that gender significantly moderated relationship between peer acceptance and suicidal ideation; gender β = 11.34, P < .05, peer acceptance, β = .37, P < .05 and the interaction effect A*B = -.31. The researchers, among other things, recommended that to mitigate the colossal danger of suicide, parents and significant others in the life of undergraduate students should constantly monitor their relationships with peers.